Ingredients
Makes 12. Takes 20 mins.

These crisp little potato pancakes make a fine starter, daubed with horseradish cream, topped with the richness of smoked eel (or smoked trout, or smoked salmon) and a garnish of crisp bacon. You can also serve them at room temperature with drinks.

3 rashers streaky bacon
500g all-purpose potatoes
1 egg
1tbsp plain flour
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2tbsp oil for frying
1tbsp horseradish sauce
2tbsp crème fraîche or lightly whipped double cream
250g smoked eel fillet, skinned
1tbsp finely snipped chives

Grill or fry the bacon until crisp, and leave to drain and cool on a paper towel.

Peel the potatoes and coarsely grate. Place in a sieve, and squeeze out the excess liquid with your hands.

Beat the egg in a bowl, whisk in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth, and add the squeezed, grated potato, mixing well.

Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan and add the potato mixture by the scant tablespoon. Fry on both sides until golden brown (about three minutes each side) and remove pancakes.

Combine the horseradish sauce and crème fraîche, and cut the cooled bacon into crisp shards. Cut the eel into short sections, or coarsely shred.

To serve, arrange pieces of smoked eel on top of each potato pancake. Top with a spoonful of horseradish cream and a shard or two of crisp bacon.

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